Past Tenses: Preterite and Imperfect
These two past tenses are essential. The pretérito indefinido (preterite) describes completed past actions; the imperfecto (imperfect) describes descriptions, habits, and ongoing states.
The Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)
Regular Forms
| -AR (hablar) | -ER (comer) | -IR (vivir) |
|---|
| yo | hablé | comí | viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste | viviste |
| él/ella | habló | comió | vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos | vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis | vivisteis |
| ellos | hablaron | comieron | vivieron |
- Ayer comí una pizza. — Yesterday I ate a pizza.
- Visitamos el museo. — We visited the museum.
Key Irregular Preterites
| Verb | yo | él/ella | ellos |
|---|
| ir (to go) / ser (to be) | fui | fue | fueron |
| hacer (to do) | hice | hizo | hicieron |
| tener (to have) | tuve | tuvo | tuvieron |
| estar (to be) | estuve | estuvo | estuvieron |
| poder (to be able) | pude | pudo | pudieron |
| poner (to put) | puse | puso | pusieron |
| decir (to say) | dije | dijo | dijeron |
| dar (to give) | di | dio | dieron |
Note: ir and ser share the same preterite forms — context makes the meaning clear.
- Fui al cine ayer. — I went to the cinema yesterday. (ir)
- Fue muy divertido. — It was very fun. (ser)
- Hice mis deberes. — I did my homework.
The Imperfect (Imperfecto)
Regular Forms
| -AR (hablar) | -ER/-IR (comer/vivir) |
|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía / vivía |
| tú | hablabas | comías / vivías |
| él/ella | hablaba | comía / vivía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos / vivíamos |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais / vivíais |
| ellos | hablaban | comían / vivían |
Only three irregular verbs in the imperfect:
| Verb | yo | él/ella | nosotros |
|---|
| ser | era | era | éramos |
| ir | iba | iba | íbamos |
| ver | veía | veía | veíamos |
When to Use Which
| Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|
| Completed, one-off actions | Descriptions and settings |
| Sequenced events | Habits and repeated actions |
| Specific time reference | Background / ongoing actions |
| Start/end of something | States, feelings, weather |
- Cuando era pequeño, jugaba en el parque todos los días. — When I was little, I used to play in the park every day. (imperfect)
- Ayer fui al parque y jugué al fútbol. — Yesterday I went to the park and played football. (preterite)
Combining Both (Grade 7+)
- Llovía cuando llegué al colegio. — It was raining when I arrived at school.
- Mientras mi madre cocinaba, yo hacía los deberes. — While my mum was cooking, I was doing homework.
- Era un día soleado y hacía calor. De repente, empezó a llover. — It was a sunny day and it was hot. Suddenly, it started to rain.
Time Markers
| Preterite | Imperfect |
|---|
| ayer (yesterday) | de pequeño/a (as a child) |
| la semana pasada (last week) | normalmente (normally) |
| el año pasado (last year) | siempre (always) |
| una vez (once) | a menudo (often) |
| de repente (suddenly) | cada día/semana (every day/week) |
| anoche (last night) | todos los veranos (every summer) |
Exam Tips
- In writing, always use both tenses together for higher marks: preterite for events + imperfect for background.
- Ser and ir share preterite forms — don't let this confuse you in reading/listening.
- The imperfect is very regular — only 3 irregular verbs — so it's reliable for accuracy marks.
- In listening, imperfect -aba/-ía sounds are distinctive — train your ear for them.